Parthenium hysterophorus L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Canda Community, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa, Mozambique

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hotel Castelo Branco, Chimoio

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhascuvo Ranger Camp, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Sune Holt
Vuca Interior, Inhassoro, Inhambane, Mozambique

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Synonyms:
Common names:	Congress grass (English) Demoina weed (English) Famine weed (English) Feverfew (English) Parthenium (English)
Frequency:	Very common
Status:	Introduced
Description:	Bushy much-branched annual herb to 1 m. Leaves sessile, up to 10 × 5 cm, deeply 2-pinnately lobed with obtuse ultimate segments, densely puberulent below, less so above. Panicle large and lax. Capitula c.3 mm in diameter, hemispheric. Phyllaries in 2 series, 2-3 mm. Rays c.0.5 mm, white, ± circular, 5 per capitulum. Fertile achenes black, c.2 mm, broadly obovoid, flattened, pubescent near apex.
Type location:
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Roadsides and disturbed places
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	All year
Worldwide distribution:	Native of South and Central America; naturalised elsewhere in the tropics
National distribution:	MS,GI
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Friday 16 October 2015
Literature:	Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 212. (Includes a picture). Beentje, H.J. & Ghazanfar, S.A. (eds.) (2005). Compositae (Part 3) Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 815 - 816. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 146. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 27. Wild, H. (1967). The Compositae of the Flora Zambesiaca area. 1. Heliantheae. Kirkia 6(1) Pages 8 - 9.

Other sources of information about Parthenium hysterophorus:

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Flora of Botswana: Parthenium hysterophorus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Parthenium hysterophorus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Parthenium hysterophorus
African Plant Database: Parthenium hysterophorus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Parthenium hysterophorus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Parthenium hysterophorus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Parthenium hysterophorus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Parthenium hysterophorus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Parthenium hysterophorus
JSTOR Plant Science: Parthenium hysterophorus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Parthenium hysterophorus
Plants of the World Online: Parthenium hysterophorus
Tropicos: Parthenium hysterophorus
Wikipedia: Parthenium hysterophorus